King's Cross

“When I was young and green, I remember going to London. Do you know the place? The station's called King's Cross.""King's Cross? London's Euston! Everybody knows that!”

―Gordon and The Foreign Engine, Eight Famous Engines

King's Cross in real life

King's Cross is a Central London railway terminus on the northern edge of the city. It was built as the London hub of the Great Northern Railway and terminus of the East Coast main line. It took its name from the King's Cross area of London, named after a monument to King George IV that was demolished in 1845.

One day, Gordon, Duck, and a visiting engine were arguing about what the name of the big station at London was. Gordon thought it was King's Cross, while the other engine thought it was Euston. Duck thought it was Paddington since he said he used to work there.

In real life, King's Cross also served as a station for the London Underground subway system, known as the "Tube" to British residents. In November 1987, King's Cross suffered a large fire in the Underground station, killing 31 people, including Colin Townsley, a fire chief of the London Fire Brigade stationed in the nearby Soho District, and injuring 100 due to a small fire on an old wooden escalator quickly growing into a large inferno due to a phenomenon later dubbed as the "trench effect". Memorial plaques regarding the tradegy were installed at nearby St. Pancras Church by Diana, Princess of Wales, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II of the British Royal Family, and at the station proper.